Nightsound Studio Rooms

Control Room

Our control room is a comfy place that features multiple DAW software platforms, (Logic Pro, Pro Tools), Lynx Aurora (n) and Burl Analog to Digital converters.  Also our in our refurbished 1970’s Quantum Audio Labs console. 

Main Room

Our main room is a fun blend of art and science. It has been acoustically treated for a variety of recording and rehearsal applications, and is designed with four quadrants that allow for a controlled transparent environment. Because some places have a feeling attached to them, the room can also be configured to capture the distinct character of the space. The unique history of the building includes the last twenty years as Nightsound Studios, and before that it housed Lloyd Street Studios in the 1990’s.  We’ve been told a lot of mojo and vibe from 30 years of Chapel Hill/Carrboro music history is still in there, and even after recent renovations and added acoustic treatments, we believe it. As a recording space it accommodates large bands of 1-8 people for recording applications and up to 10 people for rehearsals.

The Blue Room

Smaller than our main room, our “blue room” comfortably allows vocalists or dual instrumentalists plenty of room to move about. This room features a variety of vintage and modern keyboards, guitar amplifiers, and one of our analog tape machines. Sonically designed as a controlled environment where nothing bounces around on the walls, this room is excellent for voice-overs, vocals, or instruments recorded in an isolated space.

The Nightsound “Rehearsal Barn”

Our newest addition is intended solely as an affordable, equipped, and acoustically controlled rehearsal room for a four-piece band. The “barn” is furnished with a drum kit, PA, bass amp, guitar amplifier, and a combo bass amp. While it can comfortably accommodate four musicians and their instruments, groups larger than four are encouraged to use our main room. The barn has also been used as a space for practicing soloists, a production space away from the studio’s main building, a place for guided instruction, and a spot where husbands, wives, and parents get away from it all for some personal musical time. It boasts a small mini-fridge for when you get thirsty.

Our Gear List – Click subcategories to expand

Recorders
Digital Recorders
  • Lynx Aurora (n) 24/16 channel, (32 bit 192KHz sample rate)
  • Lynx Aurora AES 16e w/thunderbolt card
  • Burl B2 ADC (up to 192kHz sample rate)
  • UAD Apollo-twin-solo
  • Mackie SDR 24 track 48/96kHz recorder w/ Mackie 24 remote
  • Tascam CD Burner CD-RW4U
  • Korg 1BIT DSD Mobile Recorder MR-1000
  • ADAT, DAT, and other media available upon request.

 

Analog Recorders / Converters
  • Otari MX-80 : 24-channel 2 inch multitrack recorder
  • Otari Remote Control Unit CB-124
  • Otari Auto Controller CB-120
  • Tascam ¼” machine ATR-60
  • Tascam 32 ¼” machine 
Console / Mixers
  • Quantum Audio Labs Inc.  Series 22 (refurbished / modified)
    • 16 channel Mono 5 channel stereo 4 bus 
    • Monitor section w/ Jim Williams Mod 
    • 22 channels of classic quantum audio eq
    • Cinemag transformer preamps on each channel 
  • Sidecar mixer – Speck outboard fader system VF10M 
  • Sidecar mixer – Speck outboard fader system VF16M
  • Sidecar mixer – Yamaha M430 8 channel mixer w/ Jensen Transformers  

 

Monitoring
  • Genelec Monitor 8040B Bi Monitoring System
  • Inward Connections DMS-3 Monitoring Controller
  • Yamaha NS10M monitors (custom red)
  • Wharfdale EVO 4.4 HiFi stereo speakers (main room playback) 
  • Presonus HP60 – 6 Channel headphone amplifier 
  • Hear Technologies hearback system  
  • Rane Headphone Amp HC-6
  • Dorrough Model 40-A Loudness meter
  • Denon diamond needle DPDJ151 turntable  
  • Headphones by Beyerdynamic, Direct Sound, Fostex, Senheisser, Vic Firth
Microphones

Large Diaphragm Condensers

  • (1) Neumann U67
  • (1) Bock 251 
  • (1) FLEA tube U47
  • (2) Microtech Gefell M930
  • (1) Microtech Gefell M910 
  • (1) Charter Oak SA538B
  • (2) Peluso P-414 (1976 AKG 414 replica, matched pair)
  • (1) Shure Beta 87
Large Diaphragm Condensers (FET)
  • (1) Bock Audio 195 FET
  • (1) Heiserman U47 FET
  • (1) Mojave MA301 FET
Small Diaphragm Condensers
  • (2) Schoeps CM6 MK4 (matched pair) 
  • (2) Josephson E22S (matched pair) 
  • (2) Mercenary Audio KM69 (matched pair, based on Neumann KM84)
  • (2) Shure SM81s
Ribbons
  • (1) AEA r44 CXE
  • (1) AEA R84
  • (2) Beyer M160
  • (2) Cole’s 4038 (matched pair)
  • (1) PPA R-One
  • (1) Royer R121 
Dynamics
  • (2) Shure SM-7B
  • (4) Shure SM-57
  • (1) Shure (greneli w/ transformer mod) SM57
  • (3) Shure SM-58
  • (1) Shure Beta 52
  • (1) AKG D112
  • (1) AKG D12-E
  • (1) Sennheiser E609
  • (1) Sennheiser MD-421-U-5
  • (1) Sennheiser MD-421 II
  • (2) Sennheiser MD-441
  • (1) Electrovoice RE-20
Various other (weirder) mics
  • (1) Behringer ECM 8000 (acoustic analysis mic)
Preamps
  • (2) Ampex Mic Preamp 601 (custom)
  • (3) Helios 500 Type 69
  • (2) Neve 1073LB
  • (1) API 512C
  • (1) API 312 (very early 1970’s version)
  • (4) API 3124 
  • (1) Electrodyne 501
  • (2) Shadow Hills Mono Gama
  • (1) Great River Electronics Mercenary Edition MP-500NV
  • (1) Crane Song Syren Tube Pre-amp
  • (1) Inward Connections Magnum
  • (2) Sphere M1200B
  • (2) AEA RPQ2 ribbon mic preamps
  • (2) Melcor GME-20 w/ EQ Unit (classic 1950’s Olympic Studios pres)
  • (1) Avedis MA5
  • (2) D.W. Fearn Tube Pre-amp
  • (2) AEA RPQ2
  • (2) Millennia HV-37
  • (22) Quantum Audio Labs Console preamps with Cinemag Transformers
  • (1) REDDI Tube pre bass direct box
Compression
  • API 2500 Bus Compressor
  • 1176 Rev A (hairball build to UREI specs)
  • 1176 Rev D (hairball build to UREI specs)
  • Retro 176 Limiter
  • Retro STA-Level Compressor
  • Shadow Hills Dual Vandergraph
  • Shadow Hills Mono Optograph
  • IGS ONE-LA (amazing sounding LA2A hardware clone)
  • ACME Opticom XL3A 
  • Safe Sound Audio Dynamics Toolbox (2ch)
  • Inward connections The Brute Limiter
  • ADR Compex Limiter F760X-RS (2ch)
  • (2) dbx compressor/limiter 560A
EQs
  • (1) API EQ 5500 Dual EQ (stepped)
  • (1) API 560B
  • (3) Helios type 69 EQ
  • (2) Maag EQ4
  • (1) Kush Audio Electra
  • (1) Neve 1073LB EQ
  • (1) Avedis E27
  • (1) DON Classics 250EQ  (GML 8200 replica)
  • (2) Electrodyne 511
  • (2) GME / Melcor EQs
  • (2) Vintech X73i (Neve 1073 EQs)
  • (16) mono channel Quantum Audio Labs Q22 EQs
  • (6) stereo channel Quantum Audio Labs Q22 EQs
Effects / Signal Processing

Signal Processing 

  • Bricasti Design M7 reverb 
  • Lexicon PCM70 digital effects processor  
  • Roland DEP-5 digital effects processor  
  • Effectron I echo unit 
  • (2) Radial EXTC reamper modules (for stereo reamping w/ pedals!)
  • Nightsound custom transformer mid/side matrix processor “Oriel” 
  • Folcrom Passive Summing RMS216 ( can be used with any of our preamps!)

FX Pedals 

  • Noise Kick FX – Greg’s Place Reverb
  • Mesa Engineering Grid Slammer distortion
  • Earthquaker Devices Acapulco Gold distortion
  • Electro Harmonix Freeze Sound Retainer
  • Catalinbread Echo Rec tape echo
  • Strymon Sunset dual overdrive
  • Dunlop Rotovibe JD4S 
  • Ross Distortion

Monitoring

  • Genelec Monitor 8040B Bi Monitoring System
  • Inward Connections DMS-3 Monitoring Controller
  • Yamaha NS10M monitors (red)
  • Hear Technologies hearback system  
  • Rane Headphone Amp HC-6
  • Headphones by Beyerdynamic, Direct Sound, Fostex, Senheisser, Vic Firth
DAWs / Software
  • Logic Pro X (10.5 as of October 1st 2020)
  • Pro Tools 12 
  • Izotope rx
  • Komplete 12 Software Instruments 
  • Steven Slate, Trigger 2 (Drum Replacement/Augmentation software)

Plugins & Additional Hardware Processing 

  • Universal Audio UAD2 Octo tbolt satellite
  • Universal Audio UAD2 Quad tbolt satellite
  • Universal Audio Duo tbolt satellite

Software Tape Emulators

  • Ampex ATR
  • Studer A800 tape emulator
  • Oxide Tape emulator

Software Reverbs

  • UAD2 Lexicon 224 reverb
  • UAD2 Lexicon 480 reverb
  • Valhalla Vintage Verb  (PCM70, 80 algorithms) 
  • UAD2 Ocean Way studios 
  • UAD2 Pure Plate
  • UAD2 AMS RMX16 reverb & expansion 
  • UAD2 EMT 140 Plate reverb

Other software signal Processing

  • Precision Enhancer Hz
  • Precision De-Esser
  • Precision Limiter
  • Little Labs IBP
  • SPL Transient designer

Software Compressors

  • Teletronix LA2A collection
  • LA3A compressor
  • UA 1176 collection 
  • Neve 33609 compressor
  • Fairchild collection

Software EQs

  • Neve 1084
  • Neve 1081
  • Helios 69 EQ
  • Pultec Classic EQ Collection 
  • UA 610-B Tube Preamp / EQ

            Many other plugins by…

  • Audio Damage
  • Blue Cat Audio
  • Camel Audio
  • Celemony (Melodyne)
  • Flux
  • Izotope
  • Klanghelm
  • Massey
  • Plugin Alliance
  • Softube
  • Sonimus
  • Sound Radix
  • SPL
  • Stillwell Audio
  • Tdrl
  • Vacuumsound
  • Valhalla DSP
  • Voxengo
Combo Amps and Amp Heads
  • Vintage Sound Amplifier Vintage 15 (Rick Hayes made, Princeton Style)
  • Garland Ruby Model 56 (Andy Church made, boutique fender tweed)
  • Dusky D20 amplifier (pair with Dusky Hydrogen 12” cab, made in NC)
  • Swart mod 84 combo amp (marshall / vox sound, made in NC) 
  • Roland Jazz Chorus 55  
  • Mesa/Boogie Studio .22
  • Ampeg B15N Bass amp combo (Fully serviced 2019) 
  • Gallien Krueger – 800RB Bass Amp head
  • Ampeg Rocket Bass combo
  • Fender Stage 100 DSP Acoustic Amp
  • (1) Fender Acoustasonic amplifier  
  • Orange Tiny Terror amplifier head
Speaker Cabinets
  • Leslie rotary cabinet w/ vox AC15 amp head 
  • Avatar 2 x 12 cabinet w/ Greenback speakers
  • Sunn 215s  2 x 15” cabinet w/ Eminence Delta speakers  
  • Agular 4 x 10” cabinet 
  • Fender Dual Showman (silverface) 2 x12 cabinet
  • Dusky Hydrogen 12” open back cab
Instruments

  • Guitars

    • Danelectro Danoblaster Innuendo electric guitar with onboard fx
    • Fender Special Edition Custom Telecaster FMT HH black cherry burst
    • Fender Jazz bass with dual humbuckers
    • Fender 5 string Precision Bass
    • Fender Mustang Bass  
    • 6 string nylon acoustic guitar 
    • Martin D1R Rosewood Acoustic Guitar  

    Keysboards, Organs, Pianos  

    • Dexibell VIVO S7 weighted 88-key 24bit 48kHz unlimited polyphony studio piano
    • Moog Sub-37 
    • Roland Juno-60 synthesizer (1982) 
    • Roland MC505 drum machine /sequencer
    • Korg DW-8000 Analog / Digital synthesizer 
    • Korg Novation Bass Station II
    • M-Audio Oxygen 8 midi keyboard
    • Casio PT-80 mini keyboard
    • Casio SK-1 sampling keyboard 
    • 1908 converted upright player piano (lots of character)
    • Hammond M3 Organ w/ Leslie Cabinet and speaker mod

    Drums, Percussion

    • C&C player date II – Bonzo 4 piece drumkit maple/mahogany/maple
        • 14×24” bass drum, 9×14”tom, 15×18 floor tom, 
      • Ludwig Rocker Elite 5 piece drumkit (birch)  
        • 16×22” bass drum,12×8 tom, 16×16 floor tom 
      • Sonor Bop kit 
        • 18×16” bass drum,12×8 tom,14×12 floor tom, 14×5 snare
      • Gretsch 18 x 22 bass drum 
      • Gretsch 16×16 floor tom (catalina maple)
      • Ludwig rocker wood snare (green)
      • Metro signature series 14” wooden snare
      • DW custom 13” purple heart snare
      • Ludwig 14” metal/wood hybrid snare
      • Tama 14” metal snare

  • Rogers 14” metal snare 
    • Slingerland 14” metal snare 
    • Meinl Byznance Vintage 18” Sand Medium Crash
    • Aged Zildjan high hat (buried for decades in holy ground for the perfect tone)
    • Iron C
    • obra kick pedal
    • Ludwig kick pedal
    • Glockenspiel
    • Children’s xylophone
    • Thunder drum
    • RhythmTech Eclipse Congas 11” and 10” set
    • Various tambourines, shakers, sticks